The Game Awards: From God Of War Ragnarok to Stray, our picks to win on gaming's Oscars night

The biggest night in gaming - the closest thing the industry has to its own Oscars ceremony - is almost upon us.

Live from Los Angeles in just a few days, The Game Awards will honour the best the medium had to offer this year, honouring everything from the biggest blockbusters to the smallest independent debuts.

Gaming reporter Martin Kimber and technology reporter Tom Acres are here with their tips for some of the most competitive categories - and you can keep scrolling for the full list of nominees.

Best game

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Elden Ring

God Of War Ragnarok

Horizon Forbidden West

Stray

Xenoblade Chronicles 3

Martin's pick: Horizon Forbidden West

It's very difficult to pull off a successful sequel, but Guerrilla Games has done just that. You'll struggle to find a prettier game with a bigger, more expansive map. It offers excellent replayability and thus value for money, it is addictive, and did I mention it's pretty? Plus, robot dinosaurs! What's not to like?!

Tom's pick: Stray

Quite the debut from French indie studio BlueTwelve Studio. This surprisingly moving dystopian adventure painted a bleak yet hopeful picture of the fragility of life, and how it endures. Not content with nuanced commentary on capitalism and its impact on the planet, you also play as a very cute cat. And there's a meow button!

Stray features inarguably the cutest main character of the year

Best narrative

A Plague Tale: Requiem

Elden Ring

God Of War Ragnarok

Horizon Forbidden West

Immortality

Martin's pick: Horizon Forbidden West

In the first Horizon, it felt like the developers came up with the concept of robot dinosaurs and built the whole game around that idea. However, this sequel boasts a much more fleshed out story, captivating even the players who just want to take on a mechanised velociraptor with a bow and arrow.

Tom's pick: God Of War Ragnarok

God Of War's reinvention four years ago was a triumph, plucking the vengeful protagonist Kratos out of his Greek comfort zone and into Norse mythology - with a son, no less. The stranger in a strange land setup was inherently less novel this time, but his metamorphosis from one of gaming's most two-dimensional meatheads into a touching and relatable depiction of fatherhood goes from strength to strength, with quite the emotional pay-off.

Horizon Forbidden West was one of the best looking games of the year

Best art direction

Elden Ring

God Of War Ragnarok

Horizon Forbidden West

Scorn

Stray

Martin's pick: God Of War Ragnarok

I played this recently with some friends, who genuinely couldn't tell the difference between the cinematics and the gameplay. If you basically want a playable, violent Pixar film, this is the game for you.

Tom's pick: Elden Ring

FromSoftware's games have always boasted tremendous art direction, and each have brought its dark, fantasy tendencies to bigger audiences. Elden Ring was a collaboration with Game Of Thrones creator George RR Martin, showcased by the sheer scope and detail of its world. There's an almost impossible-to-imagine level of variety, with every corner you turn invariably offering something new. Best art or not, it's definitely got the most.

God Of War Ragnarok boasts some typically enormous creatures

The scope and variety of Elden Ring's world is unmatched.

Best family game

Kirby And The Forgotten Land

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Mario + Rabbids Sparks Of Hope

Nintendo Switch Sports

Splatoon 3

Martin's pick: Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

If I could give this game all of the above awards, I would. It's been so long since they released one of these, I was worried they'd mess with the perfect recipe - but they didn't. Collectible characters, stud multipliers and hilarious cinematics all make a return. A must-play for every family member (and Star Wars nerd).

Tom's pick: Nintendo Switch Sports

I didn't realise how much I missed the thrill of family competition in Wii Sports until its spiritual successor arrived on Nintendo's Switch console. As was the case with the original, your mileage with each sport will vary and tennis and bowling remain by far the best, but each is boosted by far more precise motion controls and online multiplayer.

-sky news